Unraveling
by BellaRose55
Summary: Mary believes she is ill with a common cold, but Joey insists it is something worse. When she finally agrees to go to a doctor, the visit goes unexpected. Can one diagnosis threaten her life? Read to find out! Review!
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Mary leaned back in her chair, taking in a deep breath. Here she was again, trying to finish this essay, but found herself too tired to do so. She brought her head to her chest, rubbing the painful area. Mary clicked the save button on her computer, before closing the laptop. There was not a chance she was finishing this now. She just could not focus. She lifted her hand to her mouth, covering it as she coughed. She was suddenly startled as her phone vibrated. She picked it up, opening her new text message. _**Joey **__Just got out, coming to get u now. _

Mary glanced at the clock, which read six o'clock. "Crap." She whispered under her breath. Where did the time go? She quickly replied, before pushing herself out of the chair. Even a simple task took so much effort for her to complete. She plugged in her curling iron, before pulling off her sweat pants and T-shirt. She quickly pulled on a pair of skinny jeans and a black blouse, quickly tying the bow that rested under the bust. She slid on her black, suede, four-inch heels, with a bow on side. She stood in front of the mirror, quickly curling her dark hair. Mary sprayed her hair with anti-frizz spray and ran her fingers through her hair. Her shiny curls rested on her shoulder. She grabbed her bag just as her phone vibrated again.

Mary heels clicked on the wooded floor as she quickly made her way downstairs to the living room. Luckily nobody was home yet. She pulled on her jacket and opened the front door, shivering at the chilly air as she stepped outside. She made her way down the porch steps, sliding into Joey's car. "Hey." She greeted, leaning in and pressing her lips against his.

"Hi, you look beautiful." He smiled, beginning to pull out of the driveway. "As always."

"Thanks." She said huskily, before falling into a coughing attack.

"And still sound terrible. You should really go to the doctor." Joey glanced at her as she pulled onto the highway.

"I'm fine. It's just a cold." She coughed once more, placing her hand on her chest, struggling to catch her breath.

"A cold doesn't last for two and a half weeks. You could have something worse. Like pneumonia or bronchitis."

"I'd be like deathly ill. I'm fine."

"Could you just go to the doctor? For me? Because if you don't do it yourself, I'm going to force you." Joey sighed, intertwining his right hand with her left hand.

"Fine. I'll call tomorrow. But only for you. And when they tell me that it's just a cold, I'm going to yell at you." Mary smirked, turning her head to look at him.

"Better to be safe than sorry." Joey raised his eyebrow, pulling onto the exit.

"So how was recording?"

"Good. Did you finish your essay?"

"Um…" Mary laughed. "About that."

"Mary, you're going to have to finish it eventually. Actually, by Tuesday. Now you're going to stay up all night doing it Monday, because I know you're not going to do it this weekend."

"I started it." Mary bit down on her lower lip. "Oh and by the way, Domifreak _still _will not shut up about doing a duet with you."

"Way to change the subject and I'm not going to."

"That's what I told her." Mary shrugged. "She's so annoying."

"Why don't you just move out?"

"Because she won't give me permission. But believe me, the day I turn eighteen-exactly four months from today- I am."

"Well good, because my parents are leaving for France in a three days and they're going to be gone for eight months. So you can move in and we'll start searching for our own place."

"Sounds good to me." Mary coughed as they pulled into the parking lot. She stepped out of the car, placing her hand in Joey's as they walked up the pavement. They stepped inside the warm restaurant, where a young woman led them to a table. They both sat down and listened to her explain the night's specials. When she left, they opened their menus and both began to read the Italian foods. This was their favorite restaurant and Joey would always treat Mary here. "I think I'm going with the Fettuccini Alfredo tonight."

"That sounds good. I think I'm going with the Gnocchi Bolognese."

"Awe, nothing I can have."

"It's not my fault you're a vegetarian." Joey laughed, shaking his head at his girlfriend. It was a habit for Mary to pick at his food. And the only time she didn't, was when he ordered meat. Her commitment to giving up meat had lasted for almost a year now and Joey had liked it. Now, whenever he ordered meat, he'd stop her from picking at his food.

She took a sip of her soda, before falling into another coughing attack. She held her chest, gasping for air. This had been happening for two weeks now and it was only getting worse. "Are you alright?"

She spit out one last cough, before nodding her head. "I'm fine."

"I don't think you are. You really need to go to the doctor. It's only getting worse."

"Okay, okay. I will. I told you, I'll call tomorrow for an appointment." She pushed her curls behind her ears and closed her menu. They both ordered their food and Mary jumped on the bread as it arrived on the table. Joey stared at her, shaking his head. She laughed, slipping a piece of warm bread into her mouth. "What? I'm starving. I haven't eaten anything since lunch."

"And that was at eleven. That's probably why you're sick. You're starving yourself." Joey shook his head, taking a piece of bread to his small plate.

"No, I just wasn't hungry until like an hour ago." Mary said. "And I'd never be able to starve myself. Food is just…so good."

Joey laughed at his girlfriend for the umpteenth time. "You're crazy. But I love you."

"Thanks, I love you too." She stuffed more bread into her mouth, before taking another sip of her soda.

It wasn't long before their food was served. They both ate, while discussing their day and planning their future life together when Mary moves out. After they finished they both decided to share a chocolate, peanut butter cheesecake. But Mary was only able to take two bites before she complained she was full again. And she had only eaten a few bites of her pasta. "Oh my god, I'm so full."

"You hardly even ate."

"I know. I don't know what's with me lately. I'm so full all the time. I don't like it." She laughed. "I guess it's my cold."

"Now I have to eat it all." Joey slipped another spoonful of the cheesecake and vanilla ice cream in his mouth.

Mary laughed, as she watched her boyfriend finish the cheesecake. "I love you."

"I love you too." They both leaned in over the table, pressing their lips together. When the pulled apart, Mary struggled to breathe. She placed her hand on her chest again and quietly coughed, gasping for more air. She forced a smile at Joey, pretending as if everything was alright. Maybe it wasn't just a cold.

_Thanks for reading! Some of you may know me. I have written 20 stories for Hannah Montana, Wizards OF Waverly Place, Another Cinderella Story, H20: Just Add Water, Titanic, Enchanted, and Instant Star. I love to write, act, sing, and I love, love, love receiving reviews. I hope you enjoyed my story so far. There is still plenty to come. Thanks again and REVIEW!_

_BellaRose55_


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Mary grabbed her jacket and headed downstairs. She suddenly paused at familiar, irritating voice. "Where do you think you're going?"

"To the doctors." Mary sighed.

"Why?" Dominique glared.

"I've been sick for two weeks." Mary said, quickly leaving the house, before Dominique was able to say another word. But as she slammed the door shut, she heard her call her name. She ignored it and headed down the driveway. She shivered at the cold air. It was only fall and it was cold outside even though they were in California. Mary couldn't imagine what the winter was going to be like. She waited at the end of the driveway for Tami to arrive. When she finally did, she slipped into the passenger seat, smiling at her friend. "Hey."

"Hey, how are you feeling?"

"Like crap. I think I might actually have a fever today." Mary leaned against the back of the seat, feeling exhausted, even though it was only noon.

"That's not good. Hopefully the doctor can give you some medicine and you'll feel better by tomorrow."

"I hope. I still have to get that stupid English essay done. But every time I try to do it I just feel so tired." Mary sighed, pulling a compact mirror out of her bag. "Ugh, my hair looks a mess today."

"It looks gorgeous, as always." Tami took a glance at Mary, shaking her head. "Besides, you're going to the doctors."

"And then out to lunch with Joey."

Tami raised an eyebrow at her friend. "Oh and he is really going to care. He thinks you're gorgeous no matter what. And you are. I'm totally jealous."

"Why? You're gorgeous too."

"Thanks, but not as gorgeous as you." Tami pulled her car into the parking lot, stopping by the entrance.

"Yeah, okay." Mary said sarcastically, rolling her eyes. "Bye and thanks. I'll text you or something."

"Yeah, let me know how the doctor goes." Tami said. "Bye."

Mary's shoes clicked against the pavement as she made her way into the building. She pulled the door open and headed to the front desk. She quickly checked in, before taking a seat. She flipped through a magazine, until a young nurse called her in. She followed the woman down the hall and into a room, where she took her blood pressure, weight, temperature, and pulse. "Hmm, you do have a high fever. 101.8. And did you say you had a fever any other time?"

"Um, I haven't checked. So I don't know."

"Okay, and how long has this been going on for? Two weeks?"

"Yeah, about two and a half."

"Okay, well Dr. Casady will be in with you shortly." The nurse slid a paper into a file and slipped it into the bin outside the door. Mary observed the pictures on the walls and read the facts on the posters. She slightly jumped as the doctor entered the room.

"Hello, how are you?" Dr. Casady grabbed the file on the way in and closed the door.

"Okay, you?"

"I'm good." She slipped the paper out of the file and grabbed a pen. "So what's going on?"

"Um, I've been sick for almost three weeks. And I thought it was just a cold, but my boyfriend is convinced it's not."

"Okay. Tell me your symptoms."

"I've been feeling very tired and weak, headaches, coughing, I feel like I can't breathe, chest pain, I've noticed I've also been having night sweats, and I haven't taken my temperature but I think I've had a fever before."

"Okay, have you been taking any medications for your symptoms?" She peeled her eyes off of her clipboard to look at Mary.

"Um a few times I have taken Motrin for my headache and when I thought I had a fever, but it didn't seem to help. I've also taken some cough medicine, but that didn't work either."

Dr. Casady flipped through her files to see Mary's last physical. "You seemed to have lost weight since your physical, which was in…September. You've lost twelve pounds. Which is usually a sign that something is wrong because it is only a two-month period of time. Have you been trying to lose weight?"

"No, I actually eat a lot." Mary laughed. "But I have also been noticing my appetite has been decreasing."

"Okay. And you're fever was high, as well." She rested her pen on the counter and came closer towards Mary. She gently felt her neck, feeling for lymph nodes. "Your lymph nodes are swollen, which usually indicates that you are sick." She slid her stethoscope on her hearts and listened to Mary's heartbeat. "You do seem congested." She looked at her ears, throat, eyes, and nose, before feeling her underarms. "I think we're going to run some tests just to be safe. You're underarm lymph nodes are swollen, as well."

"What kinds of tests?"

"Well, your white blood cell count was high on your last physical, but didn't appear to be a problem. We're going to check it again and I'd like a chest x-ray, and a biopsy of a lymph node."

"Why? What's wrong with me?" Mary's became nervous at the tone of Dr. Casady's voice.

"Well, what concerns me is the fact that these symptoms have lasted for so long and that your white blood cell level is high. You could indeed have just a flu or virus, but just to be safe we want to make sure of more serious conditions."

"Serious conditions? What kind of serious conditions?" Mary's asked nervously. "My mother died of cancer."

"I'm sure there's nothing to worry about. We just want to be safe."

"Where do I go for these tests? When do I get them done?"

"Well the biopsy we can do here. All we do is take a sample with a needle. It only feels like a pinch. The chest x-ray should be done as soon as possible, in fact I'll call and get you an appointment for today."

"Okay." Mary bit her lower lip, fearing the worst. She didn't know what to think. The doctor was telling her it was most likely nothing, but that happened to her mother. And then her mother died. Maybe she should have listened to Joey. Maybe she should have gone to the doctor sooner. Was it possible she was dying? Or maybe she was freaking herself out for no reason. Maybe it really was just the flu or a virus. But she'd just have to wait and see.

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	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Mary hit the save button on her computer, taking a sigh of relief. Her essay was finally finished. She closed her laptop, hearing the phone ring. She moaned, hoping someone else would get it, but she knew that would never happen. She quickly got up and dashed to the phone, beating the answering machine. "Hello?"

"Hi, this is Dr. Casady. Your results are in."

"Oh." Mary said. "Are they negative?"

"Well, not exactly. We've diagnosed you with Hodgkin's Lymphoma."

"You're not serious." Mary's heart stopped. She slowly sat down on the kitchen chair, hearing the words repeat in her head. Was she really just diagnosed with cancer? The disease that killed her mother? She couldn't believe it.

"I'm sorry, this isn't something we joke about. We believe you are in stage two or three, but we need an MRI and bone marrow sample to confirm. Are you available today?"

"Um…yeah." Mary stared ahead, trying to convince herself this wasn't happening. But it was and there was nothing she could do to change it.

"Okay, the hospital has a three o'clock appointment free. It shouldn't take long."

"Yeah, that's fine. Thank you." Mary hung the phone up, taking everything in. She was seventeen years old and just diagnosed with Hodgkin's Lymphoma. Her mother had died from cancer. And now she might too. She let a tear escape from her eyes, trying to remain calm. But the though of having cancer sent chills up her spine. Was she only going to have a few months to live? This wasn't what she wanted. This wasn't what she planned. She wanted to move in with Joey in a few months and after graduating from college, marry him. When they were ready they were supposed to make beautiful babies together and live happily ever after. But now cancer stood in the way of that dream.

She jumped as Dominique entered the kitchen, glaring at her. "Who was that?"

"My doctor." Mary whispered, staring down at the kitchen tiles.

"What'd she want?" Dominique asked nastily, as if she even cared.

"I…I have…cancer." Another tear slipped from Mary's eye as she admitted her disease. The word felt so scary to just say. One word, one phone call, changed her entire life.

"Oh." Dominique slightly gasped, almost sounding sorry for her. She stared at Mary for a moment with sympathy in her eyes. She opened her mouth to speak, but soon closed it. She quietly left the room, not yelling at Mary to complete a chore. But Mary was in too much shock to realize Dominique's unusual behavior.

She slowly stood up and dragged herself to her room. She collapsed on her bed, glancing at her phone. Should she call Joey? But she didn't know if she'd be able to tell him. Maybe she should tell him in person. She texted him, telling him to meet her at her house. He quickly responded, saying he was on his way. She quickly researched her cancer online, horrified by her discovery. She quickly exited the page, hoping the web sites were false. She slowly made her way to the door and opened it for Joey. He greeted her with a kiss and she then broke the news to him. "I have cancer."

Joey's eyes widened as he stared at Mary with shock. "What? Mary, that isn't funny."

"I'm not joking, though." She sniffled, letting another tear carve a path down her cheek. "My doctor just called and told me I have Hodgkin's lymphoma."

"Oh my god." Joey stared at his girlfriend with shock. "Well they caught it early, right?"

"Not exactly. She thinks I have stage two or three of it, but they need and MRI and bone marrow sample to confirm. I have an appointment at the hospital today at three. I'm really scared, Joey."

"It's going to be okay." He folded his arms around her as she began to sob against his chest. He gently stroked through her soft curls and rubbed her back. He tried to convince her it'd be alright, but really he was scared too. What was going to happen? Was there a strong chance she would die? He would not be able to live without her. He loved her too much. He couldn't even imagine life without her. "Shh, everything will be okay."

"My mom died from cancer, Joey."

"Not Hodgkin's."

"No, she had a tumor. She was diagnosed with it one day and two weeks later she died."

"You're strong. You'll make it through this. And I'm going to be right by your side while you do. I'm not going anywhere and either are you, but this cancer is." Joey lifted Mary's chin up and wiped her tears away. He looked into her beautiful eyes, slightly smiling. He then pressed his lips against hers, falling into a passionate kiss.

"Will you come with me to the appointment?"

"Of course." Joey nodded. "First, let's get our mind off of things and go get some lunch."

"Okay." Mary agreed. But honestly, she couldn't get her mind off it. How could she? She was just diagnosed with cancer. The thing that caused the most deaths in the United States. And she feared that it wasn't just the beginning of this. She didn't want to die. She was too young to die. There were still so many things she wanted to do with her life. She wanted to continue with her dancing. She wanted to go to college and get her degree. She wanted to spend her life with Joey, who she loved. She wanted to help kids around the world and spread the joy that dancing brought her. She wanted to someday have kids of her own and watch them play and grow. She wanted to grow old with Joey and die peacefully and happily. But now cancer stood in the way of all that. Now she might not even make it to the age of eighteen. Which scared the hell out of her.

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	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Mary darted into the bathroom, pulling her hair back. She gagged into the toilet various times, her body shaking. Chills ran throughout her body and she felt terrible. She slowly planted her feet on the rug when she thought she was done. Her head was pounding and her entire body ached. She had started Chemotherapy almost two weeks ago and it was Hell. She felt sick.

She dragged herself to her room and plopped down on her bed. She rolled over, wishing for the misery to disappear. She looked over at her door as it opened. Dominique entered and sat down at the edge of her bed. "How are you feeling?"

"Like crap." Mary moaned, clenching her stomach in pain.

"Look, I want you to move in with Joey." Dominique's words shocked Mary. "I mean if you want to."

"Are you serious?"

"Yes."

"Thank you." Mary said. She watched as Dominique departed from her bedroom. She grabbed her phone and dialed Joey's number. She explained to him what Dominique had just said. Now, he was on his way over to help her pack her things. She slowly stood up, feeling the room spin. She stood still for a moment until the dizziness passed. She pulled out her suitcase and began to throw her things in. She turned around as the door opened and Joey entered. He wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her into a kiss. He felt terrible for her. And he was terrified of what was going to happen to her. But he kept convincing himself that Mary was strong enough to fight this.

They finished packing her things and headed over to Joey's house. They left some of her belongings behind to get later. Joey helped her into the house, letting her relax on the couch. He turned the TV on for her and sat down beside her. He pulled her on his lap, holding her close. He loved her so much and that was why he feared losing her. He _couldn't _lose her. Just the thought of life without her shattered his heart.

He gently rubbed her back as she moaned in pain. This cancer was a stubborn battle. Mary's body wasn't handling the chemotherapy well. And he didn't know how to help her. He hated seeing her this way. She didn't deserve this. She was the sweetest, kindest person Joey knew. And now she was dying. And there was nothing he could do to help her.

He stroked through her hair, terrified as a large clump of hair was left in his hand. He threw it on the floor, trying to hide it. But it was too late. She had seen it. She brought her hand to her hair, slightly running her finger through it. She brought her hand back down, gawking at the curls in her hand. "No."

"Mary it's fine."

"No." She began to sob, her eyes locked on the clump of hair.

"You don't need hair. You're beautiful without it." Joey held her close, gently rocking her back and forth. This was only just the beginning of a long and windy road.

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	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Mary entered the classroom with her hand in Joey's. Her head was throbbing, her stomach was churning, her body ached, her chest hurt, and she felt like crap, but she was still here. She wanted to try and finish the school year and graduate high school. If…she lived the far.

Her body had finally gotten along with the chemotherapy. Well…she wasn't as sick, anyway. But it wasn't stopping the cancer from progressing. She was now in stage four of her cancer and had multiple surgeries. As of now, she had a fifty- percent chance of surviving.

She leaned against Joey, feeling exhausted. He gently rubbed her back, feeling everyone's eyes on them. Rumors had spread about Mary. Various rumors. Everyone had known she was ill, but they weren't sure of what. Some said she had an eating disorder, others said she was pregnant, and some believed she was dying, maybe of cancer. But nobody had known the truth besides Joey, Tami, and Dustin.

Joey pressed his lips against her head gingerly, before placing his head on his forehead. "Babe, I think you have a fever."

"I'm fine." Mary sighed. She just wanted this to end. She was tired of feeling like this. It was like having the flu for two months.

"Well just let me know if you want to go home." Joey said, before the late bell had rung throughout the school.

Mary nodded, before taking her seat besides Joey. She attempted to focus her attention on the teacher, but her mind was wandering. And she was struggling to stop it. But as the period went on, she felt worse. The room began to spin and her chest felt tight. She gasped for air, feeling an intense wave of nausea come across her. She suddenly stood up, causing everyone's attention to focus on her. She started for the door, but suddenly fell backwards. Everyone gasped as she collapsed to the floor unconscious.

Both the teacher and Joey ran to her side. Joey gently shook her, asking if she was alright. But she didn't respond. She laid on the floor, her body cold and pale. He checked to see if she was breathing. She was, but her pulse was dull. Multiple students called 911 and one student ran to get the nurse.

But the paramedics rushed in just as the nurse entered. They pulled her onto a gurney and quickly brought her into the ambulance, where they began to perform various treatments. Joey quickly ran out to his car, driving himself to the hospital. He dashed into the hospital, practically stumbling into the front desk. "I'm here for Mary Santiago."

"And you are?" The woman peeled her eyes off of her computer, glancing towards Joey.

"Her boyfriend. Joey Parker."

"She was brought in by ambulance. She passed out in the middle of school. She has stage four of Hodgkin's."

"Oh yes." The woman nodded. "I have not received any news on her yet, but I believe they transported her to the oncology floor. I'll have somebody escort you to the waiting room."

"Thanks." Joey whispered, stepping aside so the person behind him could talk to the woman. He paced back and forth before a man in scrubs greeted him. He led him up to the oncology floor, leaving him in the waiting room. Joey collapsed on a chair, burying his face in his hands. He couldn't believe this was happening. Everything felt so surreal. Who knew what they thought was a cold could turn into a life threatening disease. Mary was suffering and there was nothing Joey could do to help her.

This wasn't supposed to happen. She was such a sweet and happy person. She wanted to inspire children around the world with her dancing and volunteer her time to help sick people. Now, she was one of those sick people. Now, she may not ever dance again. Most people who developed Hodgkin's were cured. But Mary had already been in stage four and it was spreading rapidly. Her case seemed to be bad. Which didn't make sense, considering Mary hadn't done a single thing to deserve it. But sometimes…life just didn't make sense.

Joey fidgeted in his chair, unable to sit still. It was like sitting on pins and needles waiting to find something out about his girlfriend. He shot up, planting his sneakers on the hard floor. He paced back and forth, doing anything to make the time go quicker. He needed to find out something about her. He couldn't wait anymore. He just couldn't. He strolled down the hall, glancing into ever room's small door window. He suddenly paused as he saw the familiar dark curls.

The room was in a state of chaos. Doctors were running around, nurses were taking blood, connected Mary to various machines, and performing multiple tests. Joey wasn't sure what was going on, but a bad feeling swept over him. He watched for another moment.

He strolled back to the waiting room, falling down to the chair behind him. He closed his eyes, struggling to distract himself. But he began gradually drift off to sleep. He suddenly shot up as he heard Mary's name being called. "Anyone here for Mary Santiago?"

He blinked his eyes, slightly raising his hand. "I am. I'm her boyfriend. Is she okay? Did the cancer get worse?"

"Well, she's developed an infection, which is common in patients with Hodgkin's Lymphoma. But the problem is, her body can not fight the infection like a person who doesn't have Hodgkin's Lymphoma. But she also does not seem to be responding to any of the cancer treatments. We're going to try one more round of chemotherapy, but if she doesn't seem to respond, she'll have a decision to make. There is this surgery that most likely will clear _most _of the cancer. Though it's not guaranteed, there is a ninety- percent chance it will clear most of it. There's a sixty- percent chance to clear all of it. If it only clears most of it, it's much easier to treat the rest with chemotherapy and radiation. But…this surgery is very risky. It's a newer surgery, that only a few of our surgeons are familiar with. There's a forty eight percent chance of something going wrong."

Joey took in a deep breath, trying to take in everything she had just said. "Well, what would happen if she _didn't _get the surgery?"

"Well, I mean, there's a very slim chance the cancer will leave without the surgery. She hasn't been responding to any of the treatments and I don't think continuing it is going to do anything."

Joey stood there speechless. This was all too much for him to handle.

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	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Joey quietly slipped into Mary's room, slightly smiling as his eyes met with her gorgeous face. He walked to her bed, standing beside it. He leaned down and pressed his lips against hers. Her shivered at the touch of her cold lips. "Do you know about the surgery?"

Mary nodded, pushing her very thin hair behind her ears. "I don't know what to do."

"I think maybe you should get it."

"But there's almost a fifty percent chance of something going wrong."

"And there's now less of a fifty percent chance of you living without the surgery. You're not responding to any treatments. Cancer doesn't just disappear on its own."

"And what if something goes wrong, but I live? Suppose I'm mentally retarded or paralyzed? I don't want to live my life like that." Mary struggled to hold back her tears. People her age were decided where they wanted to go to college, but right now she was deciding if she wanted to get a life threatening surgery.

"Can that even happen?"

"Joey did you see the list of risks? It goes on forever."

"I still think it'd be better to get the surgery."

Mary rolled her eyes, becoming frustrated. "Are you looking at it from my view? I know you don't want me to die and believe me, I don't want to die. And I really don't want to leave you. But the last thing I want is to go through my entire life in misery. And if that's going to happen, I'd much rather die."

"But you're in misery now."

"And I want it to end. But we don't know if one surgery is going to do that! Yes it'll probably get rid of most of the cancer but it'll also most likely put me in more misery. Something is bound to happen. And I don't know if I want to take that risk."

"So you'd rather take the risk of dying? That's just stupid."

"Joey, are you listening to me?" Mary began to raise her voice. "I don't want to live my life in misery. I'm miserable now. I feel like crap. And if the surgery goes wrong I'm going to feel like crap the rest of my life."

"And then you could…"

"No, Joey. You don't understand."

"You're right I don't." Joey sighed. "Because if it were me, I wouldn't take the risk of dying."

"I could still die with the surgery! There's a fifty, fifty chance either way."

"Not really. Without the surgery, you're not going to live." Joey immediately regretted the words that escaped from his mouth. But then again they were most likely true.

"And maybe that's the best option."

"Do you want me to leave me?"

"No, Joey. Of course not."

"Then get the surgery."

"Joey that's not what this is about!"

"Then explain it to me! Please! Because I don't understand!" He threw his hands in the air, feeling the pressure build a wall in his eyes as he struggled to hold back his tears.

"I can't Joey. I just can't." A tear escaped from her eye and slowly trickled down her cheek. Joey sighed, before furiously leaving the room. Mary stared at the door. Now she was even more confused than she had been before. And the decisions were pushed even farther away.

She watched as a nurse entered the room, exchanging her IV bag with a new one. "Can you tell my doctor that I'd like to get the surgery?

Thanks for reading! I'm sorry it's short. But I just realized that there are only a few chapter left. This is a shorter story, especially compared to some of my others. But thanks again for reading and please review. I'm lacking reviews. Review!


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Mary stared at the wall before her. Her heart was racing with anxiety. In just a few minutes she would be taken to the OR for her surgery. For the surgery she really didn't want. The only reason she was having it was to make Joey happy. But in a way she did want it. She just wasn't sure she wanted the outcome that might happen. If only she had a crystal ball to look into the future. But maybe she didn't have a future.

Her eyes moved to the opening door. She slightly smiled at Joey as he strolled into the room. "Hey."

"Hey babe. How do you feel?"

"Nervous." She sighed.

"Me too." He whispered. "But everything will be okay."

"I signed a DNR."

"You what?" Joey's eyes widened.

"I signed a DNR."

"Why? Why would you do that? Are you crazy?" Joey stared at her in disbelief. Was she serious? Did she _want _to die?

"Joey, I don't want to go through this. If I crash, maybe it's for the best."

"I can't believe you're doing this to me." Joey whispered as a tear traced a path down his cheek.

"I'm not doing it to _you. _Please, don't think that. I love you, Joey. Believe me. I love you more than anything. But…it's for the best."

"I can't believe you."

"Mary…" Dr. Wilton entered the room, holding a clipboard against her chest. "We're ready to take you."

"Now?"

"Yes." She nodded. "We'd like you to say…goodbye to anyone you'd like, because once we take you, we'd like to get right to work."

"I'm sorry." Joey whispered, before crashing his lips into hers. His tears finally began to fall, as he hugged her even tighter. He didn't want to leave her. He _couldn't _leave her. "I love you so much. Never forget that."

"I love you too." And with that she was wheeled away, blowing a final kiss to Joey. He stood in the room, his heart shattering. That could be the last time he'd see her.

_Review! Only two __**long**__ chapters left!_


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Joey took a deep breath and wiped away the tears that had fallen from his eyes. He stood there for another moment, before resting his hand on the cold doorknob. He opened the door, slightly smiling at the face he missed. But the smile disappeared as quickly as it had appeared. Mary looked sicker than she had been before the surgery.

He walked beside her bed, stroking his fingers through her soft, but thin, curls. He pressed his lips against her cheek gingerly. He fell back in the chair beside the bed and gawked at Mary, who was still unconscious due to her surgery.

Currently, the surgery had gone okay. But the results of the cancer had not yet come back. And Mary had not yet awakened, which would determine any conflicts. Joey's anxiety was increasing with each second. To quicken the time, he studied every feature on Mary's face. Her baby smooth skin, her long eyelashes, her slightly curved eyebrows, her soft, alluring lips, and her dark, steamy eyes, which he could not see.

But Mary's eyes slowly opened, adjusting to the light. She nervously looked around the room, as if she was searching for an answer. "G…g…ja…Joey?"

A nurse slipped into the room, as if she knew Mary had awoken. "You're up. That's wonderful!" She glanced down at her watch, before looking back at Mary. "You woke up at five. Remember these three words. House. Boat. Tree. What's your name?"

"M…Mary." She was finally catching onto her speech.

"Good. And do you know why you're here?"

"I…I have ca…cancer." She whispered in a low, almost husky voice.

"Okay, what time did you wake up?"

Mary's eyes wandered the room, looking as if she were about to cry. "Um…"

"Five." Joey spoke in a stern voice.

The nurse glared at him, before turning back to Mary. "You woke up at five. What were the three words?"

Mary bit down on her lower lip, concentrating hard. "I don't…I don't remember."

"House, boat, and tree." Nurse Lacey remained patient, but Joey grew uneasy. "And what time did you wake up?"

Mary face was blank. "I can't remember."

"Five!" Joey's control slipped from beneath him. He took a deep breath, regaining it. "Why isn't she remembering anything?"

"Calm down. She just woke up from a major surgery. It may just be the anesthesia wearing off. We won't be certain until another few hours."

"Is it possible the surgery impaired her memory?"

"Well, yes, but it's also possible that it's just the anesthesia."

"Excuse me for a few minutes." Joey whispered as he felt a lump develop in his throat. He quickly strolled out the room and collided his fist with the wall across the hall. His body let go and fell against the wall, before he slid down it until he hit the ground. Than tears began to steam out of his eyes. Nurse Lacey exited the room and stood before Joey. "God, this is all my fault." Joey sighed, running his hand through his hair.

"Don't be so hard on yourself. What's happening to her has nothing to do with what you did."

"I _made _her get the surgery." He slowly stood up, wiping the tears from his dampened cheeks.

"Because you love her and you're trying to do what's best for her. And I know if you had a crystal ball and looked into the future and something bad happened after the surgery, you wouldn't have let her get that surgery. But you didn't know what was going to happen and you just want her to be okay."

"I'm so selfish though. All I was thinking about was me. How _I _wouldn't be able to survive without her. She didn't want this. She didn't want the surgery if it was going to do this to her." His voice was scratchy, as if he were sick.

"Not at all. You were doing it because you _love _her and you hate to see her suffer. Look you are the most selfless person I've seen. You've been by her side the entire time she's been in the hospital. You've be taking care of her, making her laugh, rubbing her feet and shoulders, bringing her food, bringing her gifts. You guys share a special bond and it's nothing something you see everyday. It's love. And it's something special. I've never seen a teenage relationship as strong as yours. I mean you guys are young and you've already found your match. It's very rare, but special and you just want to hold onto it."

He nodded, as tears balled in his eyes. "Thanks."

"Hey, I'm just telling the truth. You should thank yourself for being so great with her. What you and her have is true love."

He nodded again, before sniffling. He stepped back into room, forcing a smile at Mary. "Hey, I know you might not remember this in a few minute, but just listen, okay? I love you more than anything. You are the most important think in my life. And the only reason I made you get that surgery was because I love you and I hate to see you suffer. If I knew it was going to do something bad to you, believe me, I wouldn't have let you get it. But I just want what is best for you. And I didn't realize this until now, but we have something special. We're not just some high school couple. We're in love. But not even just in love, we have some kind of special bond. We've found each other. We've found our perfect match. And before I met you I was just some dumb ass kid, but you made me who I am today. You made me realize what life's about. Mary, I love you more than words could say. I love everything about you. You beautiful face, your hair, you're sexy smile, you way your eyes make me melt, the way you try to help everyone, your witty sense of humor, you warm personality. Everything. And I sat here and told you everything, we'd be here forever."

Mary smiled as a tear rolled down her cheek. "God, Joey. I love you so much."

His lips crashed against hers. He slipped his hands around her neck as she pulled him closer. But soon Joey felt Mary's lips freeze. He gasped and pulled himself back, gently shaking her limp body. And then the machine beside them went flat…

__

Thanks for reading! Now that the holidays are over, updates will hopefully be back on track. The only thing is I am starting physical therapy so I might be a little behind sometimes. Please stick with me. Thanks and please review!

_One chapter left!_


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

His lips crashed against hers. He slipped his hands around her neck as she pulled him closer. But soon Joey felt Mary's lips freeze. He gasped and pulled himself back, gently shaking her limp body. And then the machine beside them went flat…

Several doctors raced into the room, but paused when their eyes landed on Mary. There was nothing they could do. After all she had signed a DNR. But that didn't stop Joey. He positioned one hand over the other, before beginning CPR. "Please help her."

"Sir, I'm sorry. She signed a DNR. It's against the rules."

"Please. I can't let her die. I love her." Joey begged, as his tears fell from his face and onto Mary.

"Sir, I'm sorry." Dr. Wilton frowned in sympathy. This was the worst part of her job.

"Do you have a husband? Or kids? Or someone you love?"

"I have a husband and three kids." Dr. Wilton replied, unsure where he was taking this.

"What would you do if it was one of them? You wouldn't just watch them die." He continued with the heart compressions, persuasively glancing back and forth between Mary and Dr. Wilton.

Dr. Wilton glanced at the nurses. She took a deep breath before, taking over for Joey. "Mbeth, call a code. Sara, replace her IV."

Joey took a few steps back, watching as the scene turned into chaos. Tear begun to roll down his face as his heart pounded in his chest. He couldn't believe this was happening. He still couldn't believe she had been diagnosed with cancer. She was dying and just ten minutes ago he had become frustrated with her. Inside, he felt as if he too…were dying. He didn't know how much longer he could watch.

The lines on the machine jumped like an elated preschooler as Dr. Wilton collided the shock paddles with Mary's chest. The one last thought of hope was gone. Right here and right now, he thought she was going to die. He had no doubt. And as her heart rate began to drop, he was almost positive she was gone forever.

But suddenly, Joey's prayers were answered. Her heart rate began to become steady and the machines had stopped screaming. Everyone in the room took a sigh of relief, but Joey was still terrified he would lose her.

This wasn't supposed to be happening. None of this. He and Mary were supposed to be graduating from high school in June and attending college in September. She was supposed to move in as soon as she turned eighteen. They were going to get married young and start a family. They were supposed to be bringing their little baby home for the first time. They were supposed to be watching their children grow and play. But instead, she was dying and his heart was shattering.

And just as he had more hope, her heart went flat…again. Doctors had no choice, but to pull the shock paddles out. They rubbed them together, before colliding them with her chest. But nothing. They tried a second time, and a third, and a fourth, which soon turned into an eleventh. After the twelfth time, they stopped. Tommy continued to watch, still oblivious to what happened. But as the doctors settled down, he began to grow more nervous. "Please…there's got to be something…"

"I'm sorry sir."

"No! This isn't happening! This can't be happening!"

"I'm sorry. There's nothing we can do, she's passed away."

"No! This is a dream! This isn't happening! This…" He pulled Mary's limp body into his arms, squeezing her as hard as possible. His heart shattered into a million little pieces and he felt it would never heal. He lost his girlfriend. He lost his love. He lost everything he had. She was his world. She was the only thing that mattered to him. She was everything to him. And now she was gone.

He kissed her several times, before continuing to sob into her. He was never going to forgive himself. He had kissed her. Maybe it was too hard and caused her to fall into cardiac arrest. And now she was dead. He would never be able to tell her he loved her again. He was never going to forgive himself. He was never going to move on with his life. "Please bring her back. Somebody please. She was so amazing. She never did anything wrong. Please bring her back. Please!"

"I'm sorry. Mary has passed away." Dr. Wilton confronted to Tami and Dustin softly.

Tami collapsed into Dustin's arms sobbing. They would never see her again. They would never be able to talk to her or hug her. They would never be able to spend time with her or even just see her usual bright smile. She was so special and so sweet and now she was gone. Forever. "Dustin she can't be gone. She just can't."

"It's okay Tami. Everything's going to be okay. She's in a better place now." He tried to comfort her, but he was sobbing as well. He couldn't imagine how Joey felt. He knew if Tami passed away, he wouldn't be able to survive.

But right now Joey didn't think he _would_ survive. The most important thing in his life was in his arms…dead. And he knew it wasn't a dream. She was dead. He laid his head against her chest, continuing to sob. "I love you Mary."

_Thanks so much for reading my story! This is the end, unfortunately. This was a short and sad story, but I hope you enjoyed. I would just like to take the time to say I'm sorry to everyone in the world who has or has had cancer. And if anyone reading this story has or had or knows somebody, who has cancer, I pray and hope that everything will be okay. I've had two grandparents die from cancer and it is terrible. I hope someday soon there will be a cure. Thanks again and please leave your last thoughts/comments. Review!_


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